Brooks A No-show For Bucs

The All-pro Linebacker Made A Strong Statement That He Wants His Contract Renegotiated.

July 30, 2001|By Chris Harry, Sentinel Staff Writer

TAMPA -- If it wasn't Tony Dungy, you'd have thought the coach behind the microphones was deadpanning his way through a stand-up act.

When asked if all the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had reported for the start of training camp Sunday, Dungy calmly stated that two players had not shown up. Backup tailback Rabih Abdullah, he explained, had a family situation and had been excused.

"And Derrick Brooks is not here,'' Dungy said. "That is not excused.''

Brooks, one of the best outside linebackers in the NFL, chose the first day of a season bubbling with expectations to make a point that he wants his contract renegotiated.

A four-time Pro-Bowler, as well as the team's Most Valuable Player and leading tackler the last three seasons, Brooks has two years remaining on a five-year, $15 million deal the team renegotiated midway through the 1997 season. He is due to make $3.25 million for the 2001 season and $5.5 million in '02, figures that place Brooks among the game's highest-paid at his position.

Evidently, he wants to be the highest paid.

Neither Brooks nor his agent, Atlanta-based Roosevelt Barnes, could be reached for comment.

"I'm not going to speak for Derrick,'' Dungy said of the seventh-year veteran from Florida State. "I understand his position. I understand why he's not here. That's the way I'm going to leave it publicly.''

Tampa Bay General Manager Rich McKay said the team had been working on a contract extension for the last seven or eight months, "but didn't make much headway.''

Over the past 15 months, Brooks has seen the Bucs renegotiate deals with wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, free safety John Lynch and defensive end Marcus Jones that totaled about $110 million and included signing bonuses of nearly $24 million.

On top of that, the team signed a pair of free agents, quarterback Brad Johnson and defensive end Simeon Rice, to deals with face values of close to $60 million.

Brooks believes it's his turn.

"You hope it's something that resolves itself quickly, but quite frankly I don't know what to expect,'' said McKay, who added that Brooks' decision not to report took him by surprise. "The ball really is in Derrick's court. I'm sure we'll hear from him. When? I don't know. This isn't a path we've been down a lot -- and we didn't have a very good result the last time -- so I guess we'll just play it by ear.''

Tailback Errict Rhett failed to report to training camp in 1996, an acrimonious holdout that lasted until halfway through the regular season.

Rhett was a productive player for the Bucs, but Brooks has been a superstar who has commanded respect both on and off the field. In addition to averaging 1881/2 tackles over the last four seasons, Brooks has been an all-star on the community relations front and last year was honored as the Walter Payton/NFL Man of the Year for his off-the-field achievements.

Regardless, McKay is expected to stick by the team's long-standing policy -- one maintained during ugly holdouts with Rhett and former offensive tackle Paul Gruber -- of not renegotiating with players who are not in camp but under contract.

This could be a standoff.

"Everybody makes their decisions about how they want to plot their career,'' Dungy said. "Derrick is a guy who has done everything we've asked of him ever since we've been here. Derrick is one of my favorite guys. But I have to deal in the reality of who's here. Right now, he's not here. I can't what-if, fantasize or whatever.''

When the team opens two-a-day drills this morning at the University of Tampa, fifth-year veteran Shelton Quarles will slide from his strongside linebacker spot to the weakside position vacated by Brooks. Quarles, the Bucs and anybody wearing pewter and red hope the move is temporary.

"I knew what was going on behind the scenes,'' Quarles said Sunday night. "This is something that needed to happen the last couple of years and it hasn't happened. I'm pretty upset that he's not here, but we're a family and we're just going to handle it like that.''